As I'm sure you know, the holidays are swiftly approaching, and I get to come home for a few brief moments of sanity. But the past few weeks have been nothing short of a tornado of stress. From working out nonstop so I can eat all I want when I come home for break to this never-ending midterm season, I am exhausted. I've probably slept a total of 12 hours in the past week and, let me tell you, I have never been more excited to come home.

Please believe me when I say that I'm doing well and that you have no need to worry, but I need some time to relax. And that is exactly what I want to do when I come home from break. That's pretty much it. I want to nap for hours without the comments you used to make in high school about how lazy I was because I was always napping.

My college life laughs at the word lazy...

A normal day for me at school starts at 9 AM and I don't get the chance to lay in my bed again until 1 AM (on a good day). I have the freedom to do anything I want, free of a curfew and free of comments regarding my unhealthy eating habits. My friends are all a short walk away and don't mind my extreme amounts of energy or food cravings that strike every night at midnight.

...because we're all doing the same thing...

I promise this is the normal life for a college student and nothing I'm doing is truly out of the ordinary or rebellious. But please understand that I'm not used to being told to "be home by 11" or "don't eat ice cream for breakfast". I don't mean to sound like a know-it-all, but these have been my habits for the past three months.

With that being said, there are a lot of things that I have been waiting to do on my visits home. Like, eat a genuine, home-cooked meal that isn't pasta or tacos (both of which are my specialty at this point). I'm craving my favorite meal and there are no words to describe how excited I am to sleep in my own bed.

...without setting an alarm...

Of course, I'm excited to see you, but I also have not seen a lot of my best friends since we left for school. We have thousands of stories to tell and millions of memories to reminisce on. Sure, I love my school friends, but these people will always hold a special place in my heart. This town will always hold a special place in my heart.

I want to go to my favorite ice cream place regardless of whether or not there is snow on the ground and I want to watch holiday movies with my pets curled up beside me.

...but I do really just want to be home.

I do not want to worry about all the schoolwork waiting for me when I return or what my weekends will hold. I just want to enjoy all of the feelings and the people that I call home. Even if it is only for a few days.